It's A Dad Thing
by TeeLee123
Summary: Gohan has a nervous breakdown. . .or goes crazy, nobody's sure which. One thing is certain, Gohan doesn't react well when Pan introduces her 1st boyfriend to him. In fact, after sabotaging her date and being grounded by both his girls. . .Gohan starts the epic battle every father must fight: Teenage rebellion & dating! With Piccolo,Trunks,& Goten at his side he wont fight it alone!
1. Intro

_When the nurse handed you to me, wrapped in a pink blanket, I fell in love with you instantly. You're whole life flashed before my eyes as I looked into your bright, innocent face. _

_I saw you riding your first bike, lose your first tooth, graduate kindergarten, fly for the first time, learn how to tie your shoe, become a strong fighter like your mother. . .I saw everything Pan._

_ All of your birthdays, every broken heart, and the happy day when I walked you down the aisle to your groom, the new man you'd spend your life looking to for support instead of me. At the time, I was happy knowing you'd experience life the way I imagined it, or close enough. At the time. . .I thought those things wouldn't happen for many, many, many, many, many, MANY Years!_

_Why did the time fly by so fast?_


	2. I'm Serious

"I thought I told you NO DATING UNTIL YOU'RE SIXTEEN!" I shouted, leaning against the wall for support. How can I stand on my own after setting my suitcase down only to be bombarded with _"Papa, this is my new boyfriend! We have a date tonight"_ ? She might as well have shot me in the leg or punched me in the face! Whatever happened to _"welcome home Papa,"_ or a kiss on the cheek first?

Pan and Videl rolled their eyes.

"I am sixteen, remember?"

Shoot. She's right. I was there, I do remember. There was a cake and everything!

"Oh," I laughed nervously, hoping Videl would step in. Videl is going to step in right? Right! S-she wouldn't really let Pan go out on a date without me, right?

"Have fun, Pan."

I was stunned at what my wife had just said. Have fun? With a boy? NO! That is the worst possible thing to say to a teenaged girl and her. . .boyfriend! Did I walk in the right house? Did I somehow walk into HFIL by mistake?

I stuck my head out the door and cringed.

Yep this is my house.

"What are you doing Papa?" Pan asked.

I closed the door and stood in front of it, growing serious."You're not going on a date, Pan. Say goodnight to Uub, and go upstairs and clean your room."

"Oh, Papa." Pan laughed, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

Wow, she's taking this well.

"You can be so funny sometimes."

I blinked, not sure how to respond.

"Don't worry sir," Uub reached down and squeezed my hand.

I looked down at my hand as if it were a three-headed dragon. What's going on?

" I'll have her home by eleven, and not a minute later."

Eleven! Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh, no, no, no. This isn't good!

"But. . .Pan's curfew is eight." I squeaked, surprised Videl didn't speak up first.

Videl, Uub, and Pan laughed. I looked at each of them in shock. Since when did I become the funniest man in the room? Nobody laughed at my jokes before! This isn't even a joke!

"You're not going." I said again, hoping to intimidate my daughter.

"Gohan, move! You're in the way." Videl shoved me away from the door and opened it, taking a picture of Pan and Uub before they walked out, hand in hand.

"Don't you get into that car! You're not going on a date!" I screamed, jogging after the car as they drove down the road and out of sight.

Lost, confused, and angry. . .I stood in the middle of the road, wondering what in the world had just happened.


	3. I Like Uub, but

When I came back inside the house, Videl wasn't at the door waiting for me.

"Videl!" I screamed, poking my head into the kitchen. She wasn't there.

"Videl?" I called out, opening the door to the laundry room, she wasn't there either. Huh, where else could she be?

I knew I wouldn't find her in the bedroom, but I stomped in there anyway to change into a pair of sweatpants and comfy t-shirt. After checking the library, Pan's room, two of the bathrooms, the balcony, the basement, and three of the guest rooms, I stopped in the living room and thought: I never knew the house was this big!

I only use three rooms when I come home from work. Kitchen, upstairs bathroom, and the bedroom. Technically I use four rooms since I have to pass through the library before reaching the bedroom.

Huh, come to think of it, I never knew we had carpeting in the living room.

"What?" Videl hissed, closing her book angrily.

Okay. Let's get one thing straight here. I know Videl likes to tell our friends I jumped and screamed like a girl, but that's not true. I'll admit it was surprising to see her lying on the couch right in front of me, but in my defense she blended in like a chameleon! I don't think she was even breathing! Maybe. . .maybe she decided to scare me on purpose?

I screamed like a _man_ and_ flinched_ like a man.

I didn't jump! Videl lies! The hole in the ceiling didn't come from me!

* * *

"How can you be so calm at a time like this?" I asked, slurping down the hot coco she made for me.

Videl licked her fingers, turned the page of her book, and glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall." I think you're overreacting, Gohan. It's only seven. It 's still too soon to worry."

"But, Uub is. . ."

"I thought you liked Uub."

"I do but- -"

"Good." Videl looked up from her book and smiled." I like Uub too. He's a good kid. He's one of the strongest fighters of the universe, so I know Pan is in good hands."

I grimaced." Uh, I think I'd prefer it if Pan dated a weakling. What if Uub forces himself on her or something?"

Videl laughed.

"It could happen!" I shouted, defensively."Maybe he's a good kid on the outside but pure evil on the inside."

Videl wiped the tears from her eyes as she composed herself from laughing so hard." Oh, Gohan. What is with you today? You're on a roll."

"I'm not saying these things to be funny," I mumbled, setting my coco on the end table." I'm serious, Videl. I don't want Pan dating Uub. I don't want her dating at all!"

"You sound like my dad," Videl sighed." I don't know what to tell you, Gohan. You told Pan she could date when she turned sixteen."

"I know, but. . "

"She's sixteen." Videl reminded me, a hint of anger in her voice." We can't keep her from growing up, and we certainly can't tell her who to date."

"We'll see about that."

"Don't."

"Don't, what?" I asked innocently, grabbing my car keys." Can't a guy go for a little drive?"

Videl didn't look up from her book. I don't know why she even bothers to read at all! She can always easily guess the ending of any story. Huh, maybe I should've heeded Videl's warning, instead of choosing to do the opposite. She knew what my ending would be if I chose to ruin Pan's date, and it wouldn't be the happy ending I had envisioned.

But I'm a man. Men learn the hard way.

Looking back, I think my wife was bored. Our lives were dull. Fighting to protect the Earth wasn't necessary anymore. The world was at peace. But, I guess Videl had experienced enough peace within our own home. She needed some form of excitement, and my overprotective fatherly instincts presented her with an outlet.

She should've stopped me, I was expecting her to scold me for what we both knew I was going to do. Go for a car ride? That was an obvious lie anyone could see through.

"O-kay," Videl chirped, her know it all tone went unnoticed. If I were a dog, my tail would've been wagging uncontrollably.

Happy my wife didn't tell me "No" like I expected her to, I gave her a passionate kiss before skipping out the door.

_*** It will get funnier. Promise.**_


	4. Speech 2

_I wasn't ready for you to grow up, Pan. When you told me Uub was taking you on a date, I didn't see a sixteen year old woman standing before me. I could only see the little girl I swore you were yesterday, even your voice sounded young to me, like when you were six._

_I know, I know. You weren't a little kid anymore. But you'll always be my baby girl, Pan._

_Haha, I guess that's why I freaked out a little when you went on your first date._

_Okay, so I freaked out a lot._

_Did I ever say I was sorry about that?_


	5. Sick Puppy

I found Pan and Uub at the Night Owl Bowling Alley. It wasn't hard. Neither of them had bothered to suppress their energy and the tracking device I installed in Pan's cell phone might've helped.

I could see them well from the entrance, they were still typing their names into the computer and hadn't started playing yet.

Perfect.

"What size?" The man yelled, trying to be heard over the loud music, chattering teens, and the sound of pins being knocked into the gutter.

I clamped my hands over my ears, for my Saiyan hearing this was torture!

"Uh. . .I don't need any shoes, thanks." I yelled back." I'm just going to watch, not play."

The man winced." Sorry. You have to buy a pair of shoes or else I can't let you in."

Uub leaned close to Pan's ear and whispered something. Pan raised her shoulders instinctively, Uub's breath obviously sending chills through out her body, and giggled at whatever it is Uub whispered to her. My mouth dropped, remembering how I would sum up the courage to whisper to Videl when we were teens. I'm going to rip his arm off if he's saying what I think he's saying- - to my daughter!

"Fine. Get me a size 10."

The man threw a pair of red and black bowling shoes on the counter. "That will be twenty zeni."

I dropped my wallet." Twenty zeni!"

The man shrugged." Hey, no one's forcing you to do this."

He had a point. Grudgingly, I gave him the twenty zeni for the shoes and an extra five for a small cherry slushie. Does this place know it's overpricing it's merchandise? I could've bought a small slushie for less than one zeni at a convenience store!

* * *

I stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd of teens that swarmed the place. Besides some of the workers working at the food counters and running the prize stand, I was the only adult there.

The flashing lights of the arcade caught my attention.

"Dad would like this place," I said to myself, momentarily forgetting my objective as I stared at a game that resembled a race car.

"Ew, I hate when old people try to act young," A girl walking by said to her friend.

Old guy? Do they mean me?

"I'm not old," I pouted, slurping my slushie and finding a seat at a table where Pan and Uub wouldn't see me, but I could see them. The teen boy holding a bowling ball glanced back at me, wondering why an _old guy_ was among his group, I guess.

I smiled, and held up my slushie to let him know I wasn't stalking them." My daughter is on her first date," I said, raising my finger to my lips." She'll be mad if she knows I'm here. Keep it a secret, okay?"

The boy exchanged a look between his friends and shrugged." Whatever, bro." He threw the bowling ball down the lane. The boys cheered. " Strike!"

I finished my slushie and tossed it in the trash can across the room. The boys thought that was cool and invited me to bowl with them. With two lanes separating me from Pan and Uub, I thought, why not? Looks fun!

* * *

One game later, after making a strike, I looked over at Pan and gasped.

They were hugging! Pan was hugging Uub! A boy! Anything could happen with their bodies smushed together like that! Anything, even with clothes on!

I knew Uub was debating on letting his hands wander down to her lower back. I could just tell by the way he smiled and casually sniffed my daughter's hair in the embrace. What, feeling my daughter's bra strap wasn't enough for that sick puppy?

I had to act fast so I did the first thing that came to mind: I grabbed a box full of cheesy nachos and threw it at them.


	6. Couches Will Eat You!

I sat meekly on the couch while my girls- - Videl and Pan- - glowered at me. Their hands bunched into fists, which I saw as dangerous weapons they kept supported on their hips. Who needed a gun when you had a perfectly capable hand? I gulped. _A hand that could knock me out or break my masculine jaw in one punch._

"You threw nachos at our daughter?" Videl asked, arching one of her eyebrows.

I shifted nervously, suddenly feeling like a child." I was aiming for Uub." I mumbled.

"Why?" Pan asked, looking to the ceiling for an answer.

"Dende can't tell you that sweetheart." I joked, but Pan wasn't in the mood to laugh. I kept my lips sealed tight as I spoke." He was touching you. I'm sure he felt your bra." My eyes darted from Videl toPan very quickly, hoping Videl would join my side. _The dark side, mwahahaha."_ Don't give me that look honey. I did it to protect our daughter."

"He started a food fight, Mom." Pan said, not looking away from me.

I smiled." You have to admit that was pretty fun."

"I was banned from the bowling alley for an entire year!" Pan cried, throwing her arms in the air to emphasize the importance. She looked down at the floor, becoming sad." I don't think Uub will want to see me again after tonight. Thanks a lot Dad!"

I looked down at my feet, pretending to be ashamed. My body trembled, appearing as if I were crying when actually I was laughing! _Yes! Yes! I won! WHOO HOOO! Pan can stay my little princess a little while longer!_

"Gohan you're grounded." Videl said, somehow sensing I was faking being ashamed.

I looked up. My eyes widened." Grounded?"

Videl and Pan nodded.

"But. . .I'm a grown man."

"We don't care. Right Mom?"

"Right." Videl nodded.

My hands tightened around my knees, and I exhaled through my nose. In the beginning I could understand their anger, even thought it was cute! But grounding me? ME! The man of the house, the husband, the father, the main supporter of this household? That's taking it too far!

"I'm sorry. I guess I got carried away," I sighed, rubbing my knees one final time - - they hurt from crawling on them. Flying food is difficult to evade- - and stood up, standing taller than both of my girls." Okay, I'll admit I went a little crazy. It wont happen again. I promise."

"No phone calls." Pan said, folding her arms across her chest.

"No neck massages." Videl added.

"No book privileges."

"No _cookies_," Videl said, grinning evilly, using our code word for sex.

"Pan, take a shower. You still have cheese stuck in your hair, and go to bed." I barked. Pan self consciously touched her hair." Hurry. Chop, chop. " Pan narrowed her eyes at me hatefully. Inside I squealed, remembering how precious she looked when she was four and I pissed her off. Ah, my little angry angel.

"Isn't she precious?" I asked Videl, clasping my hands together like I were sleeping on an invisible pillow.

Videl only saw Pan for what she was doing- - stomping on each step of the stairs with enough force to break through the wood. "Gohan, I think you should take a vacation. You haven't been acting like yourself lately. I'm worried."

I snapped out of my doting father mode.

"You!" I held my finger, and shook it disapprovingly in her face." Whatever happened to love, honor, and obey? Hmmm? You're my wife! We're supposed to be a team when it comes to raising Pan, not ganging up on each other. What were you thinking woman!"

Videl stared at me, her blue eyes unblinking." A.) if you ever call me woman again, you wont get any _cookies_ for the rest of your life! And B.) We are a team, but I'm not opposed to switching sides when my husband is acting like A PSYCHO!"

I spoke calmly." You met my mother. You knew what you were getting yourself into when you married me."

"Goodnight Gohan."

I blinked._ Wow. I won? I won an argument against Videl? Whoa, this is turning out to be a pretty good- -_

"Wait." I held up my hand, suddenly understanding. Videl paused at the stairs."Why did you say goodnight to me here?"

Videl smiled." Goodnight Gohan."

I folded my arms across my chest. Videl turned off the lights from the top of the stairs and slammed the door to our bedroom. Pan slammed her door shut too. I flinched.

"Looks like it's just you and me, buddy." I said to the couch." Just try not to eat me this time."

**[ couches try to eat you! they do! Like half my legs always get stuck under the cushion or one of my arms disappear. Don't worry, we'll introduce the guys ( kirllin, piccolo, goten & Trunks!) soon enough.] When I sad 'we' I meant 'I.' I'm the only one writing this. T_T what a wierd slip up. **

**There is a larger picture to this then just a comedy. just f.y.i.**


	7. Head in the Chicken Coop Door

A couple of days after ruining Pan's date, I was still forced to sleep on the couch. My back felt stiff and my neck felt a little sore, but other than that I went to work pretty happy. I even whistled ! I didn't have to worry about my daughter becoming pregnant or running away with some boy. Yeah,duh, of course I was happy. Going two days without Videl's lovely _cookies_ was torture, but we had _cookies_ together last week. I was hungry, but not starving for her yet, so I wasn't worried. Videl loved _cookies_ just as much as I did, so I knew she would come around eventually.

On the third day of sleeping on the couch, I got out of the car, checked the mail, and cheerfully started whistling while I scanned through the envelopes. Two shapes came into view from the corner of my left eye. The mail dropped from my hands, along with my car keys. I turned toward the two figures and my mouth opened wide enough for something to pop in my jaw.

"Hi," Uub said, lifting his hand in a wave, while the other rested on Pan's lower back, keeping her close to him.

"I'm not mad at you anymore, Papa." Pan chirped, brushing the tip of her nose against Uub's." Isn't it great? Uub and I have gotten back together! Oh, could you tell Mom not to cook me anything for dinner? Uub is taking me out tonight."

Uub stared at me for a moment, then turned to Pan, chuckling." I. . . think he's going to freak out now."

Pan held her wrist up, displaying the blue watch I got her for her birthday a year ago." No. We still have sixty seconds." She shrugged." He's a little slow sometimes."

"Race you to the car?"

I made a mental note to explain the objective of racing to Pan. You're not supposed to hold hands while you race! They had already driven away by the time sixty seconds had passed and I had fully processed what was going on:

_Daughter made up with boyfried. Boyfriend took daughter out to eat, alone and unsupervised! Father needs to beat Boyfriend up for touching Daughter on the lower back and taking her away without MY permission._

"VIDEL!" I screamed. Screaming was the only thing I could do at this point. The teens I wanted to scream at weren't in sight and I didn't know how to move my legs anymore." VIDEL! VIDEL! COME HERE QUICK!"

I heard a glass shatter in the kitchen. I could hear everything as Videl ran out the kitchen, tripped over the coffee table with a loud "umph," and knocked over a plant from its stand while turning the corner sharply. She opened the door and ran into me, accidentally pushing me off the porch and into the rose bushes nearby. The prickly thorns helped a little, I could finally move!

"What! What's wrong?" Videl gasped, her blue eyes darting everywhere, looking for the source of my terror.

"Pan. . ." I moaned, wincing from the pain of the sharp thorns as I tried rolling off the rose bushes.

"Where's Pan? Is she alright? What happened Gohan!" Videl cried, covering her mouth and nose with both of her hands, suddenly afraid to find out what happened. Rolling away from the rose bushes wasn't working out, I was only getting more tangled in the limbs, so I focused my energy and flew back onto the porch. I grasped Videl by her shoulders to steady myself .

I looked seriously into her wide, scared, blue eyes.

"Pan and Uub made up. She told me to tell you not to cook her anything for dinner." Videl rolled her eyes and groaned." I know dear, I can't believe it either. The worst part is that I don't know where they went! I can't sense either of their power levels, they must be suppressing it this time!" I gasped." Wait. I forgot! I have a built-in tracker in Pan's cell ph- - "

Videl punched me in the gut, sending me back into the pit of rose bushes I had just climbed out of.

"You scared me half to death!" Videl shouted, resting her hands over her heart.

"But- - "

"I've had it Gohan! There's only so much of your craziness I can take!" Our neighbors- -Mom and Goten- - rushed out of their house, alerted by our screams. Videl glared at me. I could tell she would love to push me back into the rose bushes or punch me somewhere else on my body, so I didn't try to get up. I was safer sitting on thousands of thorns cutting small holes into my skin.

Videl bared her teeth like an angry dog." You're grounded Gohan. Leave those kids alone. In fact, I don't want you leaving the house for the rest of the day!"

"Yes ma'am." I mumbled automatically, something I used to say whenever Mom ordered me to go and study.

"What happened?" Mom asked, opening the gate, looking from me to Videl with worry.

"We heard screaming." Goten added, jumping the picket fence and running to my side. His eyes widened when he saw me, then he grinned up at Videl." Nice."

"Pan has a boyfriend." Videl sighed, taking Mom's hand and leading her into the kitchen. Mom squealed happily and started grilling Videl for details.

Goten crouched next to me, still grinning.

"Help me up," I grunted. Goten extended his hand. I reached out to take it, but before I could that little brat moved his hand away.

"Where was your help when I got my head stuck in the chicken coop door?"

"That's different! We were kids!" I yelled, struggling to free myself.

"You were eighteen."

"Goten, are you going to help me like a good little brother or not?"

"_You got yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out_." Goten said, repeating what I told him over seventeen years ago.

"I swear when I get out of this. . ."

"Don't make me get Videl." Goten teased.

***Ho HO Goten is loving this story, nobody will pick on him. He's the pick-er-ee! If that's even a word. . .**


	8. Speech 3

_Remember how you used to bug your Mother and me for a baby sister? I had said," Pan, we have you. Your more than enough. We don't need anymore children." That was partially true. Every time I thought of a baby, Goten's face would come to mind. Dad wasn't in the picture when your Uncle Goten was born, so I had to help your Grandma raise him._

_Goten. . . is a little different, but I still love him, when he's not being a pain in the ass that is. But that's what siblings do. We look out for each other and sometimes we fight, but we always love each other, no matter what._

_*sigh* I'm sorry you missed out on being a big sister, Pan. But your uncle filled that gap in your heart, didn't he?_

_Thanks for not turning out like him, sweetheart. I think I would've gone nuts sooner if you had. The world can only handle one Goten._


	9. The Hannibal's Hideout is the Man Cave

"Sooo-ferrrr-innn? Soff-rin? Soaps in?" Goten laughed, giving up trying to pronounce the name of the beer he's drinking altogether." Dude. Only you would drink alcohol free beer. This stuff tastes nasty."

I shrugged." I like it. And it's called Sophierin. So-fear-in."

I tipped the bottle to chug more of the beer. The way I saw it, Goten didn't need alcohol to get drunk, he acts drunk all the time! No beer necessary! I smiled, remembering how he got '_drunk'_ when Trunks and I told him that Sophierin wasn't alcohol free like it said on the label.

Goten nodded and set the beer on the coffee table, which Krillin had given to me last year when I finally took Videl's advice to decorate the 'man cave.' Us men ( Me, Goten, Piccolo, Krillin & Trunks) call the basement the 'man cave,' while the women ( my girls, Krillin's girls, Mom, Bulma & Bulla) call it 'The Hannibal's Hideout,' mainly because the man cave does look like something from the Silence of the Lambs movies.

There isn't a ceiling, the pipes and spider webs don't bother us but it bothers the girls. There's a musty smell and curious stains on the cement floor and brick walls. I've tried telling Pan I spilled Dr. Peppy's soda and pizza sauce on the floor, but that didn't keep her from having nightmares about the man cave when she was younger. She believed- - still believes!- - the stains are blood stains and refuses to go past the second step when she has to call me up for something.

I had tried fixing the Man Cave.

Goten tried painting a tree on the brick wall closest to the stairs, just outside the tiny bathroom, with green paint. It turned out looking more like a pot leaf than a tree. It amused us, so we didn't paint over it.

Trunks had painted the floor white on the same day Goten finished his 'tree.' I remember him yelling a lot that day since Goten, Krillin, and I kept forgetting to let the paint dry. Trunks painted over our shoe prints once, then gave up when we forgot a second time. To make it worse, even though the stains are gone under a white layer of paint, Pan knew the stains were there, and it didn't keep her from having nightmares about it.

Trunks gave me an old T.V and DVD player of his, which we set on a small stand Roshi didn't need anymore. The two sofas came into my life by luck. Goten, Krillin, Trunks and I were in the car on a pizza run when we noticed two couches sitting in the front of someone's lawn with a 'free' sign taped on the front.

_"Please. I'm begging you, don't do this!" Trunks whined, his face reddening with embarrassment as all of us hopped out of the car to inspect the furniture." I'll buy you new furniture Gohan. Just, please,please, please, PLEASE get in the car."_

_"They're free, Gohan"Please." Goten reminded me. Both of us had been taught not to be wasteful when it came to- - aw, screw it. I'll just say it. We were taught to be cheap!_

_"But they have holes." Krillin said, poking his finger into the white stuffing of the cushion."Hmm. I'll bet they were put out here for a reason, too."_

_"But they're free." Goten said again._

In the end, the 'free' sign worked it's magic and all of us - - except Trunks, who sat in the car pretending he didn't know us- - worked together to strap the furniture on the top of Videl's car. Needless to say, my wife wasn't very happy when we came home with old furniture on her car. She didn't ground me or cut me off from cookies, but she did refuse to sew up the holes. I don't mind the holes anymore, it gives the couches character.

The pool table in the center of the room and the stereo in the corner by the T.V were the last additions. Still, the women didn't call this 'decorating.' Decorating to them would be painting flowers on the wall, painting the floor pink, and setting up gym equipment and yoga mats all over the room.

What we did wasn't decorating. . . we brought home trash, the way Bee brings Buu the neighbor's shoes, socks, and random dog toys.

Women. There's just no pleasing them.

Goten shut off the light after inspecting the tiny bedroom.

Sometimes Goten uses the tiny bedroom when he wants privacy with his dates. Sometimes Piccolo uses the room when he stays over. Krillin doesn't use that room at all when Eighteen is mad at him, instead he'll sleep on one of the couches ( not the one upstairs since it tries to eat people). Trunks never uses the room or sleeps on the couches, he prefers to stay in the guest room upstairs when he visits.

I'll NEVER use that little room, but sometimes I've fallen asleep on one of the couches after watching a Star Wars marathon.

"What?" I asked, taking a drink from my second beer. Goten continued to do grin as he leaned against the wall next to me, stuffing his hands down his pockets.

"Do you think Pan has brought Uub to that tiny room?" He asked, trying his best to keep his voice steady and not laugh like he wanted to.

My eyes bulged, and beer spewed from my mouth and rained over the floor.

A knock on the front door distracted me from punching my brother. Videl answered it, and a familiar voice hesitantly asked if I was home.

Goten grinned, and cupped his hands over his mouth, shouting loud enough for Videl to hear him." VIDEL! Can Gohan come out and play? Please Videl! We want to play outside with Krillin!" He turned to me and shrugged." What? Face it dude, you're whipped."

Krillin walked down the stairs, followed by Trunks.

"What was that about?" Krillin asked, catching a Sophierin beer.

Goten howled like a wolf, jumping over the couch to greet Trunks. Trunks raised something in the air- - a DVD he borrowed- - and I nodded, understanding he'd brought it back.

Only Trunks and Krillin bring back the DVDs they borrow. Piccolo never needs them, and Goten. . . well, Mom brings them over when she finds them scattered across his bedroom. I wish Goten would bring them back instead of Mom, it's so embarrassing! Especially since she acts like we're doing a drug deal, the way she casually lifts a folded towel in the laundry basket to show me it's there, or the way she unexpectedly slams the DVDs into my chest when she walks by, careful that Videl and Pan don't see.

_"Why do you even have those, Gohan?" Mom asked one day. She met me at the picket fence, wearing a scarf over her head and really big, dark sunglasses to hide her identity. Sometimes, I think Goten takes after Mom more than Dad in the 'brains' department. Of course Videl would know it's her if she saw her in that disguise. Mom is the only neighbor we have!_

_"They're not for me!" I whined, taking the DVD from her." Roshi gave them to me as a gift, and I've never needed them! But Trunks and Goten like to borrow them. . ." How could I explain this in a way for Mom to understand? I couldn't. Letting my friends, and little brother borrow my DVDs bonded us in a way she couldn't understand. A female just wouldn't get it._

_Mom lifted her sunglasses and stared at me._

_"That's sick." She stated, then walked back inside her house._

I downed my fourth beer, wishing it wasn't alcohol free.

"I'm grounded." I said, answering Krillin's question.

Trunks paused in the middle of his and Goten's secret hand shake( the part where they look like they're doing the fox trot) and asked at the same time as Krillin,"Grounded? What do you mean you are grounded?"

I smiled." Videl grounded me for sabotaging Pan's date." I threw the empty beer bottle into the trash can." There's a reason I called you guys over. I have a little mission I need you guys to do for me . ."

**- The man cave is based on a real basement. It's acting as Gohan's headquarters, that's why it has it's own full chappy. - **


End file.
